Cruz Pins Shutdown On Democrats, Opposes Clean Debt Limit Increase

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who led the charge to tie a repeal of Obamacare to the bill to fund the government last year, on Sunday blamed the shutdown on Democrats.

"Throughout the government shutdown, I opposed a government shutdown. I said we shouldn't shut down the government," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "I think it was a mistake that President Obama and the Democrats shut the government down this fall."

Cruz said that Democrats supported the shutdown because it benefitted them politically.

"Right now the Democrats are telling you that they want another shutdown because they think it benefits them politically," he said. "So why is it hard to understand that they forced a shutdown when they think it benefits them politically?"

When asked if he would support a clean bill to increase the debt limit, Cruz said it would be "irresponsible."

"Look, of course, we should do something. We shouldn't just write a blank check," he said. "And what the president is saying is he just wants a blank credit card to keep growing and growing the debt, and I think that's irresponsible. I think it's irresponsible to our kids and grandkids to stick that debt on them because we can't live within our means."